Latest news with #GoodEnergy
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump's Surgeon General Pick Casey Means Says Psychedelic Mushrooms Helped Her 'Find Love at 35'
Dr. Casey Means, President Trump's nominee to be the next U.S. Surgeon General, has opened up about using psychedelic mushrooms multiple times The wellness influencer even claims that her experience using the hallucinatory drugs helped her prepare to 'find love at 35' Previous concerns have been raised about Means, as she never completed a medical residency and her medical license is currently inactiveDonald Trump's nominee for surgeon general has some experience with 'plant medicine,' also known as psychedelic mushrooms. On Wednesday, May 7, the president took to Truth Social to reveal that he had nominated Dr. Casey Means, a medical professional and wellness influencer, who is closely linked to the 'Make America Healthy Again' ideology espoused by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In her 2024 book, Good Energy, which Means, 37, co-authored with her brother, Calley Means, she refers to her first experience with mushrooms in January 2021. She said she was inspired to experiment with the drug by 'an internal voice that whispered: it's time to prepare.' 'I felt myself as part of an infinite and unbroken series of cosmic nesting dolls of millions of mothers and babies before me from the beginning of life,' she wrote. "Psilocybin can be a doorway to a different reality that is free from the limiting beliefs of my ego, feelings, and personal history.' Means has also touted the effects of MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly, for the treatment of PTSD. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the drugs are still schedule 1 narcotics and federally illegal in the United States, though some parts of Oregon, where Means established an alternative medical practice after failing to complete her surgical residency, have legalized psychedelic therapy. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Additionally, Means has claimed that the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms helped her 'find love at 35.' According to the Associated Press and the New York Post, she wrote about undergoing 'plant medicine experiences with trusted guides' to prepare herself for partnership in an October 2024 newsletter shared a few months after she got engaged to entrepreneur Brian Nickerson. While Means made it clear that she didn't think mushrooms were for everyone, she encouraged readers to try them for themselves. 'If you feel called, I also encourage you to explore intentional, guided psilocybin therapy,' she wrote in Good Energy. 'Strong scientific evidence suggests that this psychedelic therapy can be one of the most meaningful experiences of life for some people, as they have been for me.' Public admissions of drug use aren't the only concern the public has raised about Means' nomination to become one of the nation's top health professionals. Just a day after Trump, 78, declared that she 'has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History," he backtracked when questioned about her credentials. On May 8, an Oval Office reporter asked the president, 'You just announced a new nominee for the U.S. surgeon general who never finished her residency and is not a practicing physician. Can you explain why you picked her to be America's top doctor?' "Because Bobby thought she was fantastic," he answered, referring to RFK Jr., before noting: "I don't know her." Means completed her undergraduate degree and medical school at Stanford University, however, she never finished her surgical residency. In Good Energy and during public appearances, Means has said that her residency experience left her disillusioned with the state of modern medicine. Ultimately, she did complete enough postgraduate work to qualify for a medical license in Oregon, and turned to alternative medicine. Her website purports her ultimate goal to be 'working towards a healthier and happier planet by empowering people to understand their health and the limitless potential within them.' It remains to be seen, however, if Means' nomination will hold up to congressional scrutiny — particularly given that her medical license has been inactive since January 2024, according to Oregon public records. Means' confirmation hearing has yet to be scheduled. Read the original article on People
New York Post
15-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Trump's surgeon general pick Casey Means credited psychedelic mushrooms with helping her find love
President Trump's latest nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Casey Means, recently claimed she used psychedelic mushrooms to help her find love — and suggested the drugs can be used by some as a form of therapy. Means — a former political lobbyist-turned-wellness influencer — indicated in a newsletter she published this past October that her use of mushrooms, which she tried for the first time in 2021, helped her make 'space to find love at 35.' She noted, too, that she 'did plant medicine experiences with trusted guides' to become ready for partnership — punctuating the line with a mushroom emoji. Advertisement The 37-year-old, however, acknowledged that her experience did not necessarily mean that others should do the same. Dr Casey Means (left) — a former political lobbyist-turned-wellness influence — indicated in a newsletter she published last October that her use of mushrooms, which she tried for the first time in 2021, helped her make 'space to find love at 35.' AP Means also wrote in the 2024 book, 'Good Energy' — co-authored with her brother Calley — that people should consider 'psilocybin-assisted therapy' to manage stress and trauma. Advertisement 'If you feel called, I also encourage you to explore intentional, guided psilocybin therapy,' she wrote. 'Strong scientific evidence suggests that this psychedelic therapy can be one of the most meaningful experiences of life for some people, as they have been for me.' Means, who refers to psychedelics in her book as 'plant medicine,' said she first took mushrooms after being inspired by 'an internal voice that whispered: it's time to prepare.' 'I felt myself as part of an infinite and unbroken series of cosmic nesting dolls of millions of mothers and babies before me from the beginning of life,' she wrote, adding that 'psilocybin can be a doorway to a different reality that is free from the limiting beliefs of my ego, feelings, and personal history.' Calley Means works as a special government employee in the Department of Health and Human Services. Advertisement Psilocybin — a psychedelic compound produced by more than 200 species of mushrooms — is currently listed as a Schedule 1 drug, with federal regulators classing it as having 'no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.' However, Oregon and Colorado have both legalized psychedelic therapy. Means, who received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Stanford University, began a medical residency in Oregon but did not complete it. Her medical license is listed as inactive. Advertisement Trump revealed Means as his new pick for surgeon general earlier last week after yanking the nomination of Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, the medical director CityMD. 'I am pleased to announce that Dr. Casey Means, will be nominated as our next Surgeon General of the United States of America,' Trump posted on Truth Social at the time. 'Casey has impeccable '[Make America Healthy Again]' credentials, and will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to ensure a successful implementation of our Agenda in order to reverse the Chronic Disease Epidemic, and ensure Great Health, in the future, for ALL Americans.' Means' confirmation hearing hasn't yet been scheduled. With Post wires
CNN
15-05-2025
- Health
- CNN
Trump surgeon general pick praised unproven psychedelic therapy, said mushrooms helped her find love
Drugs in society Donald Trump Trump appointmentsFacebookTweetLink Follow President Donald Trump's new pick for surgeon general wrote in a recent book that people should consider using unproven psychedelic drugs as therapy and in a newsletter suggested her use of mushrooms helped her find a romantic partner. Dr. Casey Means' recommendation to consider guided psilocybin-assisted therapy is notable because psilocybin is illegal under federal law. It's listed as a Schedule 1 drug, defined as a substance 'with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.' Oregon and Colorado have legalized psychedelic therapy, though several cities in Oregon have since banned it. The surgeon general's job is to provide Americans with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce their risk of illness and injury. Past surgeons general have used their position to educate Americans about health problems like AIDS and suicide prevention. The surgeon general's warning in 1964 about the dangers of smoking helped change the course of America's health. Some, like Dr. C. Everett Koop, surgeon general under President Ronald Reagan, became widely known with substantial impact on policy, and others slipped easily from memory. Means' nomination follows a pattern from Trump to select people known for their public personas more than their policy positions. In the case of Means, the Republican president said he chose her solely on the recommendation of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 'Bobby thought she was fantastic,' Trump said, adding that he did not know her. Means, who received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Stanford University, began a medical residency in Oregon but did not complete it. Her medical license is listed as inactive. Contacted by phone, Means declined to comment on the record. She made the recommendation about psychedelics in her 2024 book, 'Good Energy,' which she wrote with her brother, Calley Means, an entrepreneur who now works in the Trump administration as a health adviser and who has said he invested in biopharmaceutical companies that specialize in psychedelics. Much of the book focuses on metabolic health, what Casey Means calls 'good energy.' She suggests a number of strategies to help people 'manage and heal the stressors, traumas, and thought patterns that limit us and contribute to our poor metabolic health and thriving.' One such strategy is to 'consider psilocybin-assisted therapy,' referring to the compound found in psychedelic mushrooms. She details her thinking on the subject in a 750-word passage. 'If you feel called, I also encourage you to explore intentional, guided psilocybin therapy,' she wrote. 'Strong scientific evidence suggests that this psychedelic therapy can be one of the most meaningful experiences of life for some people, as they have been for me.' Though there have been some studies suggesting benefits from psychedelics, it has not been shown that benefits outweigh the risks. Psilocybin can cause hours of hallucinations that can be pleasant or terrifying. When paired with talk therapy, it has been studied as a treatment for psychiatric conditions and alcoholism, but very little research has been done in healthy people. Side effects can include increased heart rate, nausea and headaches. Taking it unsupervised can be dangerous. Hallucinations could cause a user to walk into traffic or take other risks. Means wrote that psilocybin and other psychedelics have been stigmatized. She touted the benefits of MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly, for helping people with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The Food and Drug Administration last year declined to approve the use of MDMA as a therapy for PTSD after a panel of advisers found the research was flawed and there were significant risks in using it. Means refers to psychedelics in her book as 'plant medicine.' She describes how she took mushrooms for the first time around Jan. 1, 2021, after she was inspired by 'an internal voice that whispered: it's time to prepare.' 'I felt myself as part of an infinite and unbroken series of cosmic nesting dolls of millions of mothers and babies before me from the beginning of life,' she wrote, adding that in her experience 'psilocybin can be a doorway to a different reality that is free from the limiting beliefs of my ego, feelings, and personal history.' In a newsletter she published in October, Means said she had also used psychedelics to help her make 'space to find love at 35.' She wrote that she 'did plant medicine experiences with trusted guides' to become ready for partnership, punctuating the line with a mushroom emoji. She noted she was not necessarily making recommendations that others do the same. In a post this month about her White House health policy wish list, Means said she wanted more nutritious food served in schools, suggested putting warning labels on ultra-processed foods, called for investigations into vaccine safety and said she wanted to remove conflicts of interest. She did not specifically mention psychedelics but said that researchers have little incentive to study 'generic, natural, and non-patentable drugs and therapies' and that a portion of research budgets should be devoted to alternative approaches to health. Calley Means has also advocated for the use of psychedelic drugs, writing in a 2021 blog post that he first tried psilocybin during a challenging time in his life and 'it was the single most meaningful experience of my life — personally, professionally, and spiritually.' He said in 2022 that he had 'sold all of my 401k' and bought stocks in two companies that are developing and researching psychedelics. He did not respond to messages seeking comment. Casey Means' confirmation hearing has not been scheduled. Trump chose Means after questions were raised about the resume of his first pick for surgeon general, former Fox News medical contributor Janette Nesheiwat, and he withdrew her nomination. Associated Press Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson in Washington state and AP writer Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.
CNN
15-05-2025
- Health
- CNN
Trump surgeon general pick praised unproven psychedelic therapy, said mushrooms helped her find love
President Donald Trump's new pick for surgeon general wrote in a recent book that people should consider using unproven psychedelic drugs as therapy and in a newsletter suggested her use of mushrooms helped her find a romantic partner. Dr. Casey Means' recommendation to consider guided psilocybin-assisted therapy is notable because psilocybin is illegal under federal law. It's listed as a Schedule 1 drug, defined as a substance 'with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.' Oregon and Colorado have legalized psychedelic therapy, though several cities in Oregon have since banned it. The surgeon general's job is to provide Americans with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce their risk of illness and injury. Past surgeons general have used their position to educate Americans about health problems like AIDS and suicide prevention. The surgeon general's warning in 1964 about the dangers of smoking helped change the course of America's health. Some, like Dr. C. Everett Koop, surgeon general under President Ronald Reagan, became widely known with substantial impact on policy, and others slipped easily from memory. Means' nomination follows a pattern from Trump to select people known for their public personas more than their policy positions. In the case of Means, the Republican president said he chose her solely on the recommendation of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 'Bobby thought she was fantastic,' Trump said, adding that he did not know her. Means, who received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Stanford University, began a medical residency in Oregon but did not complete it. Her medical license is listed as inactive. Contacted by phone, Means declined to comment on the record. She made the recommendation about psychedelics in her 2024 book, 'Good Energy,' which she wrote with her brother, Calley Means, an entrepreneur who now works in the Trump administration as a health adviser and who has said he invested in biopharmaceutical companies that specialize in psychedelics. Much of the book focuses on metabolic health, what Casey Means calls 'good energy.' She suggests a number of strategies to help people 'manage and heal the stressors, traumas, and thought patterns that limit us and contribute to our poor metabolic health and thriving.' One such strategy is to 'consider psilocybin-assisted therapy,' referring to the compound found in psychedelic mushrooms. She details her thinking on the subject in a 750-word passage. 'If you feel called, I also encourage you to explore intentional, guided psilocybin therapy,' she wrote. 'Strong scientific evidence suggests that this psychedelic therapy can be one of the most meaningful experiences of life for some people, as they have been for me.' Though there have been some studies suggesting benefits from psychedelics, it has not been shown that benefits outweigh the risks. Psilocybin can cause hours of hallucinations that can be pleasant or terrifying. When paired with talk therapy, it has been studied as a treatment for psychiatric conditions and alcoholism, but very little research has been done in healthy people. Side effects can include increased heart rate, nausea and headaches. Taking it unsupervised can be dangerous. Hallucinations could cause a user to walk into traffic or take other risks. Means wrote that psilocybin and other psychedelics have been stigmatized. She touted the benefits of MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly, for helping people with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The Food and Drug Administration last year declined to approve the use of MDMA as a therapy for PTSD after a panel of advisers found the research was flawed and there were significant risks in using it. Means refers to psychedelics in her book as 'plant medicine.' She describes how she took mushrooms for the first time around Jan. 1, 2021, after she was inspired by 'an internal voice that whispered: it's time to prepare.' 'I felt myself as part of an infinite and unbroken series of cosmic nesting dolls of millions of mothers and babies before me from the beginning of life,' she wrote, adding that in her experience 'psilocybin can be a doorway to a different reality that is free from the limiting beliefs of my ego, feelings, and personal history.' In a newsletter she published in October, Means said she had also used psychedelics to help her make 'space to find love at 35.' She wrote that she 'did plant medicine experiences with trusted guides' to become ready for partnership, punctuating the line with a mushroom emoji. She noted she was not necessarily making recommendations that others do the same. In a post this month about her White House health policy wish list, Means said she wanted more nutritious food served in schools, suggested putting warning labels on ultra-processed foods, called for investigations into vaccine safety and said she wanted to remove conflicts of interest. She did not specifically mention psychedelics but said that researchers have little incentive to study 'generic, natural, and non-patentable drugs and therapies' and that a portion of research budgets should be devoted to alternative approaches to health. Calley Means has also advocated for the use of psychedelic drugs, writing in a 2021 blog post that he first tried psilocybin during a challenging time in his life and 'it was the single most meaningful experience of my life — personally, professionally, and spiritually.' He said in 2022 that he had 'sold all of my 401k' and bought stocks in two companies that are developing and researching psychedelics. He did not respond to messages seeking comment. Casey Means' confirmation hearing has not been scheduled. Trump chose Means after questions were raised about the resume of his first pick for surgeon general, former Fox News medical contributor Janette Nesheiwat, and he withdrew her nomination. Associated Press Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson in Washington state and AP writer Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Donald Trump's surgeon general pick, Dr Casey Means, suggested using psychedelic drugs as therapy: Report
Dr Casey Means, United States President Donald Trump's surgeon general pick, wrote in a book recently that people should consider using unproven psychedelic drugs as therapy, according to a report by AP. She also suggested in a newsletter that she got herself ready for a romantic relationship with the help of mushrooms. Dr Means recommended considering using guided psilocybin-assisted therapy. However, psilocybin, more commonly known as magic mushrooms, is illegal under US federal law. It is listed as a Schedule 1 drug substance under the Controlled Substances Act, which means that it has a 'high potential for abuse' and 'no currently accepted medical use in treatment' in the United States. Also read: Who is Dr. Casey Means? 'MAHA' physician nominated as Surgeon General of US She wrote a book, 'Good Energy' with her brother Calley Means in 2024, wherein she made the alleged recommendation about using psychedelic drugs, according to the AP report. She declined to comment when reached out by AP. The book, titled 'Good Energy - The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health' focuses mainly on metabolic health. In a 750-word passage in the book, she recommends 'consider psilocybin-assisted therapy'. 'Strong scientific evidence suggests that this psychedelic therapy can be one of the most meaningful experiences of life for some people, as they have been for me,' she has written. Also read: 'I don't know her': Trump says he 'listened' to RFK Jr before nominating Dr. Casey Means However, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the psychological consequences of psilocybin use include hallucinations and an inability to discern fantasy from reality. It could also cause panic reactions and a psychotic-like episode, especially if someone injects a higher dose. Describing the episode of when she tried mushrooms for the first time in around January 2021, she writes that she was inspired by 'an internal voice that whispered: it's time to prepare.' 'I felt myself as part of an infinite and unbroken series of cosmic nesting dolls of millions of mothers and babies before me from the beginning of life,' she wrote. In her experience, 'psilocybin can be a doorway to a different reality that is free from the limiting beliefs of my ego, feelings, and personal history,' she added. She also said that she took the help of psychedelic drugs to make 'space to find love at 35'. She remarked in a newsletter. Means said that she 'did plant medicine experiences with trusted guides' to become ready for partnership, according to AP. However, she did not particularly recommend it for others. Not President Trump's original choice for the post of surgeon general, Means was picked by Trump after he withdrew his original nomination of Dr Janette Nesheiwat. He did so based on the recommendation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 'I don't know her, I listened to Bobby. I think she'll be great,' he said after picking her. Also read: Why 'pro-vaccine' Janette Nesheiwat was replaced last minute as surgeon general nominee Means went to Stanford for her undergraduate and medical degrees and began a medical residency in the state of Oregon. However, she did not complete it. Also, her medical license remains inactive, which raised several eyebrows after her nomination. According to the United States' Department of Health and Human Services, the Surgeon General is considered the 'Nation's Doctor' and is tasked to provide Americans with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce their risk of illness and injury. 'The Surgeon General brings the best available scientific information to the public by issuing Surgeon General's Advisories, Calls to Action, and Reports on critical issues and communicating directly with the public via several communication channels,' the department says. With AP inputs.
